The NDP surge seen in other parts of the country did not manifest itself in Alberta. While Jack Layton‘s Party surged in Quebec, and increased their caucus numbers in British Columbia, Ontario and the Maritimes, the NDP only elected one MP in Alberta, dashing hopes that the party had in three Edmonton ridings. The NDP placed second province-wide with 16.8% of the vote, increasing their total by 4.1% since the 2008 election.

The Liberal Party took a historical beating in every province yesterday save Newfoundland and Prince Edward Island and that Party fell to a pathetic 9.3% province-wide vote in Alberta. No one expected the Liberals to be strong in Alberta, but less than one in ten Albertans voted for the Liberal Party in yesterday’s election.

The Conservatives maintained their dominance in Alberta and elected 27 of 28 MPs, while receiving support of 66.8% of voters province-wide.

Edmonton-Strathcona MP Linda Duncan was re-elected with a clear mandate of 26,134 votes (53% of the vote) over her Conservative Party opponent Ryan Hastman, who earned 19,755 votes (40% of the total vote). The Conservatives had hoped to reclaim this riding, which they held until Ms. Duncan’s upset victory against Rahim Jaffer in 2008. Instead the ridings voters rejected the Conservative Blue wave that swept Alberta and granted Ms. Duncan the first majority vote that any MP from Edmonton-Strathcona has received since 1984.

In Edmonton-East, a riding the NDP has hoped to succeed in, former MLA Ray Martin increased his vote share from the 2008 election, but it was not enough to defeat incumbent Conservative Peter Goldring. Mr. Goldring managed to finish almost 7,000 votes ahead of Mr. Martin. This was Mr. Martin’s fourth attempt to win a seat in Parliament since 1997.

In Edmonton-Centre, the NDP dislodged the Liberals in the contest for second place, while Conservative MP Laurie Hawn finished with 47% support. Mr. Hawn finished around 9,000 votes ahead of his nearest opponent, the hardworking NDP candidate Lewis Cardinal. The Liberal candidate Mary MacDonald had waged an aggressive campaign in the riding, but failed to beat her Party’s national downward trend.

I just don’t understand the voters of rural & “rurban” Alberta. Yes, I expected a Conservative sweep of those seats outside of the two big cities, but they got well over 70% of the vote in all but one (Lethbridge). The only thing I can think of in terms of an explanation is that the NDP, rightly or wrongly, seen as hostile to the oil & gas industry in general, and to the oilsands in particular. I think that for the foreseeable future, we’re going to see a Conservative lock on Alberta comparable to the Liberals’ lock on Quebec back in the 1970s.

I think there is some truth to your comment. I also believe that the braintrusts of the opposition parties (both NDP and Liberal) have come to accept that investing in long-term strategies in rural and “rurban” Alberta is not a priority

In the 1990s and 2000s the Liberals focused their Alberta resources on a handful of Edmonton ridings, a strategy that the NDP seems to have adopted in this election (focusing on the three Edmonton ridings).

Did you notice that Dave Rodney (PC) and whatever-his-name-is from Cardston-Taber-Warner … the Wildrose Alliance guy … were standing together as Stephen Harper did his victory crawl to the stage last night?

I had to vote in a “rurban” riding, as jerrymacgp calls it, last night: my first time voting outside of Edmonton (I grew up in and still call Edmonton-Strathcona home, despite a current address in Wild Rose). Never again. By 2015, I cannot be living here.

I am frustrated, disappointed, discouraged, lacking in optimism and other such unhappy things.

Have to admit that I am disappointed that the best NDP campaign i’ve seen in years resulted in no gains for the NDP in Alberta. Jack was at his best and we had supurb candidates like Lewis Cardinal and Ray Martin. Glad to see Linda Duncan make it but she’s just one voice. Questions need to be asked. Let’s do better next time.

Full credit to Duncan for the win – she obviously performed well enough during her first term to endear herself to her constituents and her team was well funded and well organized, but it isn’t particularly significant to win “the first majority vote that any MP from Edmonton-Strathcona has received since 1984” in what, for all intents and purposes, was a two candidate race.

I would like to see some poll by poll results before I can say for sure but it looks like there may be some opportunities for the NDP and Liberals, especially the former, in the next election. It will depend a great deal on the redistricting from the 2011 census and the new seats that the Conservatives plan to add.

In Lethbridge, I am pleasantly surprised by the results. It is the NDPs third best showing in the province. This in a rurban riding that includes not just the provincial swing seats in Lethbridge but also Cardston-Taber-Warner, quite possibly the most conservative district in the entire country. If redistricting can peel some of the rural areas off and make it an urban riding, then it should very much be considered a viable target.

In Edmonton, the new seats could easily open up two or three ridings to serious NDP challenges. The party managed to pull 25% of the vote in the 8 area ridings. I would imagine that it is concentrated particularly in Edmonton proper.

In Calgary, there is less hope. Still, depending how the inner city is divided, there should be one or two of the kind of seats that the Liberals would have to target if they want to rebound nationally.

I live in Edmonton-Strathcona and I have never seen a more poorly run Conservative campaign. I read in the Journal it was being run by the Wildorse. I shouldn’t expect anything more than a resounding loss then, I suppose.

Good grief!! He had a convicted felon working for him. He and his Conservatives, are in contempt of the House. He sent his henchmen to storm Guelph University, to stop students from voting. They even tried to steal the ballot boxes. Fascism and dictatorship anyone?

Has anyone Googled: Harper delivers his plan on, Global Governance for Canada? Everyone present, were shocked by his speech. Harper said, Global Governance has been worked on, since 1945.

We may wake up one morning and find our country gone. Harper has an evil agenda, I don’t like one bit. Trust him!! Not on your Nelly.

same here too!! im 19 and i havent voted for harper even if they gave me a illion buckeroos!!!!!!! rise up canadaians,where are urr brains, we have enough of harper and you want more? werent 8 yrs with that thing enough??? rise up!!

i mean serious ly, he didnt plan for anything on his agenda, and wat does he want? fame, fame ,fame and more of it.naheeed realy called it, he aint gonna do anyhting 4 us canadainas so wats the point, i heard candaians voted just 2 get rid of elections for another 4 yrs!!!!! good lord!

Harper was elected in a majority of the ridings in Canada with more votes in each riding than any other single party. That hardly makes him a fasist or a dictator….I just googled the harper speech..Did you google the author of that article????????? I did….”Charles H. McVety is a Canadian evangelical Christian leader. He has been the president of Canada Christian College in Toronto since 1993, and he is also the current president of Canada Family Action Coalition. He is perhaps best known for campaigning to repeal the law legalizing same-sex marriage in Canada. According to the CBC, Charles McVety is “one of the most powerful leaders of the Christian Right in [Canada]”

Well, this is a democracy, folks. The people ‘Rose Up!’, voted, and got exactly what they voted for. That’s how democracy works. So, don’t whine when your guy doesn’t win. My guy won this time. Thank you so much Alberta.

I’ve been stuck here in Ottawa, the town that fun forgot, since 1986 and hope to eventually return to the True West Strong and Free and spend my pension cheques in good ol’ privately-run liquor stores and pay no provincial tax. Yay, Alberta!

The opinions expressed on this blog represent my own and not those of my employer or any organization I may be affiliated with.

In addition, my thoughts and opinions change from time to time. I consider this a necessary consequence of having an open mind. This blog is intended to provide a semi-permanent point in time snapshot and manifestation of the various ideas running around my brain, and as such any thoughts and opinions expressed within out-of-date posts may not the same, nor even similar, to those I may hold today.

Dave Cournoyer is a writer and political watcher living in Edmonton, Alberta. Contact him at david.cournoyer@gmail.com.